Ego & Enmity
by angelicpower
Summary: The Herondale family was one of the richest in England, and if his daughter was luckily enough to even get a chance at marring William, then it was sure that he would do everything in his power to make that possible. But it was clear that he had other intentions; "I'm sorry to disappoint the two of you, but I have no wish to marry Miss Gray. Neither will I ever."
1. Chapter 1

There was nothing that infuriated her more than hearing her family's name defiled by meaningless rumours, and what made it worst, was that she was always last to know. There were plenty of things her parents kept her in the dark about, and when she'd questioned them, they had told her; 'there is happiness in ignorance, Theresa' and 'that she should be contented with that'. No more was spoken about that topic, her parents were just as stubborn as her and delving any deeper in that subject could cause yet another argument that the girl just didn't have to effort for. Thankfully, the young Miss Lovelace was always there, at the forefront of any gossip ready to tell her friend about anything she was being kept from knowing.

Lately, the worst of the rumours had been the story of her father being involved in a scandalous affair with a distant relation of the Penhallow family. Of course it was all made up, Tessa's parents, even at their age, were incredibly romantic. Doting lovingly on each other every chance they got, much to the girl's own embarrassment. She'd found out over tea, it was a slip of the tongue. Her Grandmother had forgotten that Sakura had been in the room, and had simply brought it up without thinking, which was good for her, but not so much for her parents. It had never been made clear to her, why she had to be kept ignorant, but then again there were things that she would rather not be made aware of.

"Are you ready Tessa, you may need to sit down this is probably the strangest one I've heard so far…"

The girl's eyebrows lifted "What do you mean?"

"I heard this one while I was with my mother, a few days ago in fact." The blonde took a sip of her tea "Well, they've been saying that you, my dear, are romantically involved with Edmund Herondale's son, William. Of course it's all rumour, because I know that if you were in a scandalous sort of relationship I would be the first to know."

A small laugh came from the girl; "Jessamine, I don't even know the man. How could I possibly be involved with someone who I don't know to begin with! That has to be one of the most ridiculous ones yet!"

"Hm, it's strange alright, but who do you think could have started it?"

"You know I'm not sure, but it's certain that they must be positively insane to create something as strange as that!" she smiled.

"Tessa" the blonde smiled "It's truly wonderful to see how calmly you take all of this, but I should still approach this with as much caution as I would in your situation, your reputation could be severely damaged by this if these rumours escalate any further than it already has. In the future you may not just be stepping out with these gentlemen."

"Yes, I suppose, but there is very little I can do about it."

"Do you mind me asking how it all started?"

"If I'm being honest, I haven't got a clue as to why all of these stories started, but if I have to put it down to anything it may be because of my aunt's marriage to that convicted felon."

"You think so, but didn't your Grandparents disown her?"

"Yes" Tessa sighed. "She was so lovely, it was a real shame when she left, and I know that she loved that man, however much he stole. They are in love, and I only regret not being able to support her…"

"Don't worry, you were too young to understand, but it seems a shame to have to pay for your Aunt's actions."

The blonde girl smiled at her friend. It was difficult not to respect her; she worked so hard to keep calm and patient with everything around her.

"Anyway my dear, you still have to tell me about this dinner you're going to."

"Yes, well it's me and my parents, the Lightwood family and Edmund Herondale along with his son."

"Interesting, what brought about this event?" Jessamine asked.

"Well, I'm not sure, but I believe that it's a business deal between my father's company and the Lightwood's."

"You know, that sounds terribly boring. Let's change the subject, shall we?"

Tessa nodded happily, business deals were never her interest, and she wasn't planning on making it anytime soon. After tea, the girl took her leave, although the Lovelace residence was less than an hour away, with the increased amount of highway men attacking carriages. Tessa wasn't going to take any chances. She arrived home before six, just in time for dinner with her parents, which was always an awkward affair;

"Did you have a good time?" Her mother asked casually.

"Yes" the girl smiled.

"Did you talk about anything interesting?"

"No, it's the same sort of things; Jessamine got a few new dresses when she was in London with her mother."

"Ah, well I was thinking about that. I understand that it would be a long journey, but your father needs to go up to London for business, perhaps it would be a good idea that while he's occupied we could go out and get you some new clothes. I've noticed that you're fast growing out of your currents ones."

The girl nodded and smiled, despite what her mother thought Tessa hated shopping. She hated the smell of new things, and much preferred the feel of old clothes. The fact that maybe she could take along the experiences of the person who wore them previous to her, gave the girl a sense of happiness that she couldn't get from wearing clothes that had been made for her. Of course this was against everything women in this society believed in, but Tessa honestly didn't care, much to her mother's disapproval.

"Theresa." Her father called across the table "It would be best, if you were to wear the dress we bought you last week to this dinner." A stern look was on his face.

"Father, if I may. What I don't understand is why it is so important that I look 'perfect' for these people. Could you perhaps explain it to me?"

"Well my dear" he paused "As a young woman, your appearance is the only real thing you can use for now."

"My appearance…" she repeated quietly. "I've lost my appetite" she sighed, and without another word left the table. It was one thing to hear her family's name abused; it was another thing entirely to be insulted directly, and by her father.

She didn't speak to her parents again, until it was time to leave for the highly anticipated business dinner. Tessa wore the dress that she'd been told to wear, there wasn't another option for her but to comply. The girl's mother had attempted to talk to her, but Tessa remained stubborn and until her father at least hinted at an apology.

"Tessie, my love" He said affectionately "Would you please cease with that expression, it doesn't make you look the slightest bit attractive"

"I'm sorry that my appearance doesn't please you." She responded emotionlessly.

Her mother responded with a 'Tsk' and went back to her own devices. The girl's father however, decided that it would be best to finally say something to his daughter;

"Tess, my dear, if it was up to me then I would have nothing more than for you to run my company. I trust your judgment, you are an intelligent young woman, but that's not how it works in this day and age. Women are not revered as equals to men, and on your own my dear, you cannot change what the world thinks, do you understand?"

"Yes, I suppose" she sighed "I just don't appreciate being told that the only thing I'm good for is sitting quietly and looking pretty."

The man nodded "I'm sorry I offended you." Reluctantly the girl smiled, she knew he didn't mean it to offend her, but it didn't stop it from hurting any less.

It took them three hours or so to get to the Lightwood residence, they were greeted by a line of servants, who beckoned them into the house with smiles. The house itself was huge in comparison to theirs, even from the front it wasn't hard to imagine just how many rooms it had. She heard her mother sigh in awe; she was always one to appreciate fine architecture.

Walking into the house, the three of them were greeted by a smiling dark-haired woman;

"Good evening Mr. Gray, I expect your journey was good?" she greeted Tessa's father with a smile.

"Yes thank you, and where is your husband?"

"He is already in the dining room, along with my son and the Herondale's." the woman smiled, but her attention was turned to the pink-haired girl "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met, my name is Barbara Lightwood, you must be Theresa?"

Remembering her manners, she bowed her head and replied; "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you." The four of them entered the dinner room; Tessa was gestured to sit in between her mother and the dark-haired woman's son. Across from her sat a extraordinarily handsome man, who she later found out to be William Herondale, the man who she was supposedly having a romantic affair with. The girl wondered whether he was aware of this rumour, but decided it best to keep her mouth shut.

However, it seemed that towards the end of the dinner, it was clear that he had not only been made aware, but he was certainly in a bad mood because of it. His father Edmund Herondale had mentioned it when the girl had been asked if she was currently 'involved' with anyone, the girl's father had chimed in saying that 'they hadn't made her aware of it'. The man had quickly apologized, saying that he didn't know that Sakura had been kept ignorant of such a rumour.

"It seems very strange though" her father smiled politely "Until this dinner, I'm sure neither of them knew of each other's existence, I wonder how that could have come about."

"Strange indeed…" Mr. Herondale replied, before taking a sip of his wine "It seems a real shame as well that your family's name is constantly desecrated by these terrible stories. Well, I don't think there is any harm in our two families being joined, but I mean the ones involving your 'affair' as it were."

Tessa's father nodded in agreement. The Herondale family was one of the richest in England, and if his daughter was luckily enough to even get a chance at marring William, then it was sure that he would do everything in his power to make that possible. But it was clear that he had other intentions;

"I'm sorry to disappoint the two of you, but I have no wish to marry Miss Gray. Neither will I ever."

Much to everyone's surprise, the younger Lightwood boy that had been silent up to now, broke the silence with a muffled laugh; "William, I believe that you are simply refusing because you believe that Miss Gray would never be interested in you. So you save the trouble of your heartbreak, and embarrass this young woman."

Hiding the blush appearing across her face, the girl looked back down at her food. She could only wait for someone to change to conversation topic; hopefully it wouldn't be too long.

William replied defensively. "I just said that I wasn't involved with her, and that I didn't have any plan to do so in the future."

After that the conversation changed, the three men continued to talk about business. Every so often the two sons would be involved, but apart from that, Tessa's end of the table was relatively quiet. Thankfully for her, she couldn't take any more of it.


	2. Chapter 2

When dinner had finally ended, they retired into the library for tea, after checking the time Benedict Lightwood had told his guests that it was far too late for them to go home, and that they must stay there for the night. Upon seeing Tessa's reluctant expression, Barbara gestured for the girl to follow her. Once outside the room the dark-haired woman asked the young woman if she would like to take a tour of their garden, saying that it was much prettier at night.

"My dear" the woman smiled "I understand that you may have been offended by the actions of the young Mr. Herondale, am I correct in thinking this?"

Tessa nodded, with her head bowed, "I didn't understand what I had done to offend him, seeing as I've never had a conversation with him, I was confused to say the least."

"Don't worry, however handsome he appears, the man has never had a way with women. It's a real shame, don't you think?"

"Hm, May I ask, how did he find out about this rumour?"

"Well, that's an amusing story. When we were over in Oxford, an extended family holiday if you will, there was a ball. William was told to ask one of the young women to dance, by his father. When he approached the young lady, she was hesitant to accept his offer, asking him whether you would mind." She explained, squeezing the girl's hand. "Young Mr. Herondale asked, with much confusion what this lady meant, and she explained the story of yourself and him being involved in a scandalous affair."

"This tale is known as far as Oxford? Oh my, who could have started such a thing?"

"It's best not to pay it any mind" she smiled. "Anyway, there are more important things to think about, like the summer ball, I've heard that you are going?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"Well, we shall be happy to see you there in that case."

Tessa glanced around her, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. At home she barely ever went out into their garden; she spent far too much time with a book in her hands to be distracted by the turn of the world around her.

"Well, I suppose we should go back in, they must be wondering where we are." Tessa nodded and began to walk back to the house; they made their way up the steps at the back of the house and through the doorway. "Pardon me for a moment, I'll find my way back to the Library on my own, I have something that needs my attention in another room."

The young woman nodded, and stepped down the empty corridor, leaving Mrs. Lightwood to her business. After walking down a few passages, the girl realised that she was lost. A few panicked moments later, and she finally decided to go through one of the doors. The only light in the room was from the window on the left wall; in the middle was a large desk with an abundance of various pieces of paper. As she stepped further into the room, the girl heard a shuffling noise beside her.

"Can I help you?" a voice called emotionlessly.

Tessa jumped at the noise, pressing her hand to her pounding chest she replied; "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realise that anyone was in here, I got lost I mean-"

"Don't worry" the voice interrupted.

When the figured moved into the light, she saw that it was the younger Herondale. Thankfully, the light was too low to see the blush that was appearing across her cheeks.

"I came to look for something, but I'll be going back in a moment I'll walk with you myself so you don't get lost again."

The girl managed a "Thank you" before she left the room, so he could go about his business. When he came back into the hallway, the man looked slightly annoyed. She felt it best not to ask, despite however curious she was. The two of them walked down several hallways in silence before the man finally struck up some form of a conversation;

"Why were you down by that end of the house in the first place?"

"Mrs Lightwood, brought me down there, to browse over her garden, it is very beautiful."

"It's too fragrant to spend too long in though."

"Too fragrant?" Tessa questioned, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"The flowers, I find them too overpowering, I prefer softer smells."

Tessa bit her lip, preventing her from smiling, "Of course."

"Are you mocking me Miss Gray?" He replied with all seriousness.

"No, of course not. It was just a peculiar statement to make; I've never heard anyone complain of the fragrance of flowers before."

"Perhaps you and I have different concepts of peculiarity"

"And what is your concept of peculiarity, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mr. Herondale cocked an eyebrow, "I haven't really thought of what I believe qualifies as unusual. Have you?" Tessa shook her head, suddenly embarrassed.

"So, did you enjoy the food at dinner?" She smiled politely, attempting to change the conversation.

"It was fine, did you?" He replied curtly.

"Yes" She replied just as abruptly, "I thought it was delicious in fact."

He tipped his head ever so slightly to the side and smiled crookedly, "I suppose you would."

Before Tessa could respond Mr. Herondale pulled a door open to reveal the Library. She bit her tongue for fear of angering her Mother and Father. A lot relied on the success of this dinner and she wouldn't be the one to endanger it. Upon entering, they were greeted by her father's approving nod. The girl could only imagine the types of things he was planning, but frankly she didn't have the effort left to care, so she sat down silently beside him. The conversation quickly died down after their arrival, and when Mrs. Lightwood finally came back into the room, it had gone 2 'o' clock in the morning. Tessa was escorted to a room, and was given a nightgown worn by Mrs. Lightwood's to wear. After she settled into the bed, she couldn't help but wonder what her mother had said in the girl's absence. Dreading any confrontation of it, Tessa fell asleep with her eyebrows knitted together.

Breakfast was an extremely awkward affair, but was over in under an hour. Neither Miss Gray, nor the younger Herondale man exchanged any words to her delight. As the Gray's left, Tessa thought she saw William peering through the window at her, but as she turned her gaze back to the same window after to bowing in thanks to Mrs. Lightwood, she saw he had gone. It was not until the Saturday proceeding that she saw any of them again.

Tessa had spent all afternoon getting ready. The dress looked perfect according to her Mother, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the new fabric. She wrapped a light blue ribbon around her hair, to match with her clothes, and exited her room, with her Mother trailing lightly behind her.

She had been asked to dance twice towards the end of the evening. Once by an enthusiastic young man, who had come with the pure intention of finding a wife, and another by a less enthusiastic middle aged man who had once worked with her father. She had briefly spoken to Jessamine, but the blonde girl had been whisked away by one of her many suitors. It wasn't till the end of the evening that she spotted the familiar figure over in the corner of the main hall. The girl thought about approaching him, but was quickly distracted by a friend of hers.

"Sophie, I didn't know that you were coming tonight?"

The girl nodded, "It's been a while since I've been dancing."

"It's wonderful to see you, and my, your dress looks delightful, wherever did you get it?"

"It was brought over from London, from my Uncle's dress shop, but I heard of your dinner with the Lightwoods from my Mother and that seems much more interesting than my dress, how was it?"

"Well, I stayed overnight at the Lightwood's residence, after we finished dinner, it was too late to head home. They have a beautiful house."

Miss Collins smiled, "I heard their oldest son is studying abroad. Gideon, I believe his name is."

"Well if he's anything like his younger brother I don't think I should like to make his acquaintance."

"Why ever not? Do you find him disagreeable?"

Tessa shook her head hesitantly, "I can't explain it, but there seems to be something I find quite peculiar about him. He has a bad temperament I think, but I haven't spoken to him enough to understand what I dislike about him."

Sophie smiled gently, "Well, perhaps he was just nervous, he may be more agreeable the next time you speak to him."

Tessa nodded and glanced about the room, catching the eye of certain gentlemen. She held his gaze for a moment, even in that short time she felt something unusual. She thought it could be hatred, but the feeling was too fond. Perhaps it was disdain, but the warmth that was beginning to spread across her checks suggested otherwise. She cast her eyes onto the floor, but she could feel him beside her before he began to speak.

"Miss Gray" She looked up. "Would I be right in assuming that you have nothing occupying you at this moment in time?"

"You would be right in assuming that." She responded, as casually as she could manage.

"May I have the pleasure of your company in this next dance?"

He held out his hand. Attempting to seem not too happy about being asked to dance by one of the most handsome men she'd ever encountered, the girl took his hand and nodded politely.

'_Of course he would be a wonderful dancer'_Tessa sighed, and it had to be just her luck to be one of the worst in all of England. The girl could feel the eyes of everyone on them, they all knew about the rumour of their scandalous affair, so the fact he would ask her to dance knowing this was completely preposterous. _'He must be testing my patience'_the girl contemplated. _'But it seems completely ridiculous that he is embarrassing himself like this.'_ Smiling over at the man, she asked;

"May I ask, why out of all of the women in this room, you asked me to dance with?"

"Because you are the most interesting, Miss Gray." He responded nonchalantly.

"Please, call me Tessa."

"Tessa." He repeated.

"But anyway I can assure you that I'm probably more average than most women, so spare me no mind."

"Then please accept my apologies now, for I have no intention of withdrawing my interest from you, _Tessa_."

The young woman blushed; she could already tell that this night was going to last longer than she'd once thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Herondale could not explain the types of things he began to feel when he was dancing with the young lady. Elation and uncertainty, he concluded.

Despite her two left feet, the girl was delightful company, well-mannered, a bit opinionated, but enough so to strike up a friendly debate, and however serious she seemed to be, the girl was open enough to laugh at her own mistakes. Among the few women that Will had actually met during his life, despite his claims otherwise, there were only two he could think of that could match him in witty remarks, and she had very quickly become the third. Miss Gray's presence was refreshing for the man.

"So you've never been further than Hereford?"

Tessa nodded "My parents didn't have the patience to travel long distances, I tried to persuade them, but I never succeeded in my efforts."

"How unfortunate. My mother was Welsh, so when my Grandparents passed, and as she was an only child, we inherited a large estate, so my sister and I often spend time there when I'm not busy. I would invite you and your family up there, but I feel it would only create more scandal surrounding the two of us." The corner of his mouth twitched upward while he said this.

The girl rolled her eyes in response, flippantly attempting to avoid eye-contact while a blush spread across her cheeks; "I wouldn't have thought a man, such as yourself, would allow his actions to be dictated by the expectations of others..."

"Well" he paused "You seem to know me so well, are you sure we haven't been having an affair all along?" He replied, an eyebrow arched, looking over at the girl, he saw that she was smiling slightly.

"I wasn't thinking that at all, Mr. Herondale-"

"Will, _please_." He smiled charmingly.

"_Will_" Tessa continued, "You seem to be mistaken, I have no intention in entering into a explicit affair with you, _neither will I ever_." She ended with smirk, which left the young man stunned.

Collecting himself, he replied in a low, teasing, voice; "Well, _I_ wouldn't mind at all."

A blush spread across the young woman's cheeks, Mr. Herondale had caught her off guard, and now she was in a position where she was in a desperate need for fresh air. Eyeing the small patio to her right she was not being particularly subtle;

"May I escort you outside?" The young Herondale smiled.

Tessa nodded, despite her sudden reservations about being alone with the young man, to leave the dance with what appeared to be no reason would have been much more peculiar.

He wrapped her arm around his and they strolled out into the open air.

"Tessa?" He whispered, almost intimately close to the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"Yes, I didn't mean to interrupt you..."

"No, honestly if you had left me much longer, I may have been stuck like that." Tessa smiled.

"I'm guessing that you often do that?"

"Not when I can help it, I don't know...If I left my mind wander for too long I get lost, I sure that I must sound insane to you..." she trailed off.

"No, you don't...I'm sorry if I gave you that impression..."

"You didn't give me that impression at all!" The girl smiled "If I may speak honestly, you gave me a very different impression when we first met then you do now."

Will arched an eyebrow; "Oh, what impression did I give you when we were first acquainted?"

"Oh well- I," Tessa stammered, collecting herself she continued; "In all fairness you seemed to be in a most awful mood, which appeared to be...unjustified."

Will nodded thoughtfully, "I can see how it would appear that way but I was terribly put off, you see I had plans that day, with a dear friend, but his boat was delayed and so he'll be an extra few weeks, the letter arrived 4 days after he'd sent it."

"I'm terribly sorry you weren't able to see you friend, Will." Tessa smiled sympathetically, "I'm lucky that my closest friend lives within walking distance. Where does this acquaintance of yours live?"

"Usually in England, however, his Father has business in China and often travels abroad to ensure his investments are being seen to first-hand." Mr. Herondale looked fondly across the grounds of the estate, "He's a very pragmatic man, much like his son."

Behind them, people were preparing to leave, the young man sighed. "I should go and find my parents, thank you for the wonderful even Mr. Heron- _Will._" She corrected herself.

The girl bowed her head and took her leave, leaving him on his own on the patio. It was only then that she could truly clear her head and organise her thoughts. So perhaps, that man wasn't as awful as she'd thought and maybe he really was just charming? _'What a wonderful idea'_ she sighed.

When Tessa finally found her Mother and Father, it seemed that they already knew who she was with. "So" the girl's father started happily "How was Mr. Herondale?"

"Fine" she replied, attempting to hide the sudden annoyance she began to feel.

"I'm sure..." her Mother added under her breath.

Normally Tessa would have reacted in a foul manner, but her mood was just too good to be spoiled by the actions of this woman. So instead she smiled politely, which thoroughly confused the lady. The three of them left, not sparing another informal word to each other until a letter arrived, two days later.

"Tessa, could you come into your father's library with me, we have something to discuss."

The young lady sighed, recently they only called everyone together to talk about who she was going to marry, and every time the conversation ended with the girl storming out of the room. But she nodded and complied with her mother's request, to remain civil if nothing else.

"What is it this time?" she asked her father, with a tone of impatience.

"You have a letter..." he handed over the envelope.

Frowning, the girl sighed;

"You've opened it. You opened my mail?"

"We had to my dear." Her mother chimed in. "Who knows what types of things you're being sent, this is for you own protection."

"Theresa" Mr. Gray interrupted, a smile plastered on his face. "I must say, I didn't think you would this much of an impression on Mr. Herondale, and so soon."

The girl removed the letter from the envelope and proceeded to read; '_What could he mean?'_The beginning of it was all standard greetings; it was only until the second page that it was getting down to the real point.

'_Next week my Father, sister and I shall be travelling to our estate in Wales, for a week. It isn't anything formal; my father has business in the area, so we thought the best idea was to stay there while he was. As we discussed at the Summer Ball, I understand that you are interested in travelling? We are planning to leave on Wednesday, and will be passing nearby to your residence; I feel that this would be the perfect opportunity for you to get a chance to travel. This invitation extends to your mother and father, however if they are not in a position as to accompany you, then this extends to you personally. I'm sure by the time this letter arrives we shall already be starting our journey; it would be more convenient to stop around at your residence. Even if you do not feel compelled to come, it may be another opportunity to allow our fathers to discuss their business further.'_

Hiding the blush that began to drift onto her cheeks, she turned back to face her father;

"Can I go?" She said with composure.

The man nodded; "I have something already planned however, but your mother will accompany you, it will be a good chance for the two of you to leave this old house. Does that suffice Tessa?"

"Yes" she nodded, happily. Even if her Mother had to journey with her, to be in the company of someone she could converse so easily with would be enough consolation.

"Well" The man continued "It's Wednesday today, you realise that?"

Tessa's eyes widened, with a frantic shake of her head she replied; "No! I'll pack now." Turning swiftly of her heels, she stepped quickly out of the room.

From upstairs she could hear the door opening, and the exchange of greetings in the hall; _'How long had they kept that letter from me'_she wondered, before running back to her suitcase. A soft tap came at her door;

"C-come in."

"Miss Gray..." the maid called from around the corner of the door. "The Herondale's are here, do you need help packing?"

Stepping back, the lady nodded; "I'm awful at this, could you do it again for me?" The maid pulled out the clothes and folded them neatly back into her bag;

"Miss, would you like me to carry it downstairs for you?"

"Yes, thank you; leave it beside the front door for me, if you please."

Walking down the stairs, she could hear her father's voice rambling away about his plans for the week, and how sorry he was to decline the kind offer of a holiday. If it wasn't for the amount of self-control she had, Tessa would have laughed aloud at how inarticulate the man was, and how easily his tongue stumbled over his words. Straightening her skirts, Tessa entered the room. As she entered could feel the eyes of everyone on her. Will was the first to stand up and greet her;

"Good afternoon, Miss Gray."

The young woman bowed her head, "To you to, Mr. Herondale, and Mr. Herondale."

In the corner of the room sat a small dark-haired young woman, with eyes as bright as the younger Mr. Herondale.

Will, moved over and put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "And this is my younger sister, Cecily."

Tessa bowed politely, "Pleasure to meet you Cecily."

"And you to, Miss Gray"

"Please call me Tessa" She smiled.

The older Herondale nodded; "It's good to have you coming with us, the two of you can keep each my daughter company, I sometimes fear that after her Mother's death Cecily may be missing out on a crucial female influence... I assume you are ready to go now?"

"Yes, my bag is in the hallway." She responded, smiling back over at the Will, who seemed to return the sentiment enthusiastically.

"Alright" her father interrupted "We'll see you next week, have a wonderful time..."

The girl moved over to kiss her Father on the cheek, before following the two men and the young woman out of the room. The maid, who had originally packed her bag, carried it out to the carriage for her. Tessa smiled back to her Father, before stepping up into the main compartment, but her foot slipped. She let out of small cry as she fell back; Will moved to catch the girl, he could feel her weight move comfortably into his hold. She quickly righted herself and reluctantly the young man left her go, helping her into the carriage he pulled back his hand, almost feeling the heat from her skin imprinted into his.

When they had been travelling for a few miles, Edmund broke the silence, which had been hanging over them since they had left the house, far too concerned with formalities to enter into more extensive conversation.

"Miss Gray, have you ever been to Wales before?"

"Well my parents" she smiled kindly, looking at her Mother, "Never did have the patience or energy to travel far at all, so in response to your question no...But I always read wonderful stories about travellers, since then I've always dreamed of going too far away places."

Her Mother pursed her lips, but said nothing in response.

"You read?" The man asked, in surprise.

"Yes, since I was little, I never really had many friends so the books became my companions instead...I suppose."

Will smiled slightly, although hidden behind his hand; the girl had impressed his father. He had never met anyone with more passion for reading than his Father.

"Oh, how delightful, there aren't many young ladies who appreciate a good piece of literature." Mr. Herondale smiled.

For the rest of the journey Edmund and Tessa talked endlessly of books. The man explained that they had a large library in Wales and there were plenty of different book stores, and if she was willing to, then he would be happy to take her around them. Tessa smiled, and nodded enthusiastically, the girl couldn't be happier to meet someone who liked books as much as she did. Her parents couldn't care for the things, in fact their interests lay elsewhere, which meant that she would have to rely on her Grandfather's study for anything she wanted.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt outside a small inn; "We're stopping?" Her Mother frowned.

"Just for the night, don't worry, we'll start again tomorrow and then we should be there by the evening." The older Herondale reassured.

Hesitantly the girl stepped out of the vehicle; she'd never stayed at a roadside inn before.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that they finally arrived at the estate, and by that point the girl couldn't take much more of the uneven roads and the hard bench she was sat upon. After stepping out of the carriage the young woman took a deep breath in;

"There is a beautiful view of the valley, just over the hill, it looks even more beautiful in the afternoon." Will said, stepping beside her.

Shocked by his sudden closeness the girl jumped slightly, "O-oh really?"

He nodded, "I was thinking of taking a walk, would you care to join me?"

"Alone?" Tessa blinked.

"Well...yes."

Tessa nodded hesitantly.

Almost giddy with the prospect of basking himself in all of her attention, he walked forward at a fast pace, which the girl found hard to keep up with. But refusing to give in, she kept up with him to the best of her ability, but as they walked further into the marshy land, her feet began sinking.

As the young woman's shoe became lodged into a deeper pool of mud, she let out a small squeak.

"Are you alright?" he asked, forcing down laughter.

"Yes" She paused, grimacing "but my foot is stuck, can you help me? Please?"

Bending down, he pushed back the sleeve of his jacket and slowly tugged on Tessa's boot. The young man did this for a few moments before her foot eased its way out of the mud.

"Thank you" she smiled.

He lifted himself up slowly, keeping his proximity with the young woman, "Perhaps I should walk a little slower?"

"That would be very helpful, thank you."

Gently, he took her hand and wrapped her arm around his, "Ready?"

"I think so."

After walking a little way, he stopped to show her the way to the local village.

"When I was younger I used to think about living there, I liked the small cottages you see."

The young woman frowned, "But your house is so wonderful, how could you want to live in such a small place?"

Will tipped his head, "Large houses are so cold, there's something so much more intimate in a smaller house, something warmer."

"You make it sound so romantic." Realising what she had just said, the young woman stammered, attempting to correct herself;"I- no- I mean, you make it sound more- than it is-"

Will raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"So where is this wonderful view, are we close?" the girl smiled, quickly changing the subject.

"No" he replied "There's still a way to go yet, are you getting tired?"

"I'm fine", she lied, hesitantly stepping over a small ditch. The truth was she was exhausted, and cold.

"We'll take a shortcut come on." Gripping her hand tightly the young man led Tessa across the field very quickly, making her trip up several times along the way.

"I'm sorry Tessa; I've ruined your dress."

She glanced down at the now brown edges of her clothes, "I have plenty of dresses, and mud isn't too hard to get out."

"And how would a lady know how to get mud out of fabric, I thought you had servants to do that for you?" The young man smirked.

"I grew up with my cousin, Nate, I was always having trouble catching up with him and I'd always be falling down. My Mother hated it when I got my skirts dirty and threatened to lock me in my room every time he would come, but I couldn't bare not being with him, so I learned quickly how to remove any evidence of my adventures."

Will nodded attentively, "Where is he now?"

"London I believe."

"And what is he doing?"

Tessa faltered, "I-I, well I'm not sure, the last time he wrote to me he was asking for money, so I assume in the same gambling rut as he has been for a while..." She blinked quickly, realising her mistake; "But that's not so say that they are having money troubles at all! He is extremely well off I-"

The young man smiled, "It's alright Tessa, I understand, we all have family issues."

Their conversation continued for a while, all politeness and manners, but quickly changed tone, to something that the young woman was no expecting;

"Tessa, do you mind me asking something quite informal?"

"I wouldn't mind at all." She smiled, stepping quickly to catch up with his stride.

"Are you involved with anyone?"

Surprised by his sudden frankness the young lady stammered, "I- well I, I don't believe that I am involved with anyone per say-"

"I am sorry to ask this in such a blunt manner, but you must understand that it would give me great comfort if you gave me a definite answer..."

Tessa nodded in understanding, and perhaps believing that this indirect question was a means of him gaining knowledge into her feelings towards him she blushed heavily, and said, quite simply, "I believe that I should like to be".

And perhaps it was the way she looked at her feet while she said this, as like she was standing with the young man she was picturing in her mind at that moment and not with the young Herondale that led him to believe that he was not the one in her favour, like he had so recently begun to think.

"I wish you had told me sooner," He said bitterly, "It would have saved me the effort of bringing you this way."

Confused by his tone, Tessa frowned, tipping her head slightly.

"Don't look at me like that" He said softly, "If this was some ploy created by your father in order to gain favour with my father than you can tell him it worked, or if this was some incredible game you are playing, then consider me beat-"

"Will I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about-"

He raised his hand, silencing Tessa abruptly, "I don't wish to hear anymore of this, pardon me Miss Gray." And the young Herondale strode expertly across the grasslands leaving Tessa fixed into her place, mouth hanging slightly open.

Unbeknownst to Miss Gray, William Herondale had suffered through much at the pretty young hands of women he fancied, how they would pursue him for his family's wealth or for his eventual inheritance. Since the moment he had turned of age it had appeared that Fathers and their daughters would come from miles around to spend an afternoon talking with him, and he could never understand why it had put the older Herondale in such a foul mood, but after one failed engagement the young man could take no more of treacherous women and their scheming Fathers. He could only assume that Tessa was with him at the request of her parents, although he had truly hoped her to be his silver lining.

Desperately, Tessa had tried to keep up with his pace, but her foot became stuck in the mud once more. Looking up from her position, she could see no sign of the young man. A sense of dread washed over her, there was no doubt that she was stuck, and deeply too and Will was nowhere to be seen, she was all alone.

"I'm stuck!" she called out to the empty marsh "Help me!" A sob erupted from the back of her throat, followed by a few tears. How could he leave her here? She hadn't done a thing to that man! Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to imagine herself somewhere else. _'It was a mistake to come here! I knew he was trouble from the beginning, so why didn't I stay away?' _She tried to convince herself but it wasn't effective, she knew he wasn't a bad person; he was in fact a delightful person.

With another sob, she attempted to yank her feet out of the mud with all her strength, but it simply wasn't enough. Wiping the tears from her cheeks and gritting her teeth with a new resolve, she hauled her left foot out, and then finally her right foot.

With a cry of anger, she leapt across the marsh, not wasting a single moment to allow her weight to sink back into the mud. It didn't take her half as long as she had expected to get back to the doors of the estate, but she knew without looking in a mirror, that her appearance was a terrible sight indeed. The girl's dress was completely soaked in mud, as was her hair and boots. Her cheeks and palms were clammy, and her eyes were red.

Suddenly, from behind the door she could hear two male voices;

"You left her in the marsh! Go out and find the girl, she could get lost!"

"I didn't leave her far she can make her own way back!"

"You invited her here as your guest! Why did you leave her there?"

"I won't stand here and be questioned so rudely!"

"No you right" the voice paused "You'll go out there and find that young woman!"

Before her the door flung open, hitting her swiftly and heavily in the face. Falling back, the last thing she was conscious of was the small spider web that hung just above her.

Tessa woke to the sound of the two male voices arguing quietly over her. Opening her eyes slowly she sat up to see Edmund looking worriedly over her.

"W-what happened?" she mumbled, her vision still adjusting to the low light.

With a sudden speed, Will leapt into her line of vision, standing by her side; "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you Miss Gray, I didn't know you were there-"

"Fine." she waved off impatiently, she didn't need him blathering on, what she need most was a hot bath to clean herself of all the mud that she'd acquired onto her person.

The older Herondale pushed his son aside and took his place next to her, kneeling my the side of sofa she was lying on; "I'm so sorry, my son has been so awful to you and without any manners whatsoever, I can see that you had some trouble getting through the marsh, please accept my apologies, I'll see to it that he is a more caring host to you. But for now I've asked for you room to be prepared, your clothes to be put away and for a bath to be run for you, however first I must request that you have something to eat. William, managed to knock you out, and I'm worried that it has given you concussion."

Reaching over to the coffee table, the man passed her a plate of food, and a cup of tea. She ate it all quickly and gulped down her tea with what seemed to be an unquenchable thirst. A sigh of relief came from Edmund, knowing that she was still eating and drinking well.

Will, however, was stood nervously over in the corner; he could not have felt anymore guilty. When they'd brought her into the drawing room, he could see the red around her eyes. Mud matted her clothes and hair, she had obviously struggled to get out of that marsh and just when she'd finally got back, he'd knocked her out. Blood had streamed down her face, from the cut that she'd received from the side of the door and it was entirely his fault.

"If it's alright with you..." the girl whispered "I would like it very much to go and bathe now..."

"Of course." the older man replied "I'll call in the maid to take you away now."

Swiftly, the man rose and moved out the room, without sparing his son a single glance, leaving the two of them alone.

"Miss Gray..."

The girl didn't respond.

"You have every right to be annoyed with me this is my fault completely."

"Yes" she snapped, rubbing the top of her head, she winced as she felt the cut. Pulling back her hand, she saw it stained with blood. "It is entirely your fault, I don't believe that staying in your company is doing either my physical health any good, so please understand that if I don't begin any form of conversation with you, that I have a perfectly good reason."

Before he could respond Edmund and the maid came back into the room.

"This is Emily, she will be acting as your maid servant while you stay here, and she'll take you up to your room now..."

The bruised young woman nodded and walked over to follow Emily. She thanked the elder Herondale for his hospitality, but spared no second look to William. After being cleaned up, and her cut was treated with the utmost of care, but just as the young woman was about to fall to sleep her mother stormed in, "Oh Tessa, are you alright? I can't believe the cheek of that young man to leave you like that."

The young lady had never heard her Mother sound concerned, it was very difficult for Tessa to comprehend what was happening. But softly she moved over and touched her daughter's forehead,

"If it's any consolation," Elizabeth smiled, "I walked past the study earlier and his father is not relenting, he is being severely punished for this."

Something pulled at Tessa's heart, "We all make mistakes Mother, he did apologise."

She frowned, "You may forgive him for this but I certainly don't," she rose from her seat, kissing Tessa softly on the forehead, "Anyway, get some sleep now, your head will hurt in the morning get as much rest as you can."

It wasn't an hour later that she was woken by a tapping on her door. The young lady went to investigate, assuming that it must be her maid servant making sure that everything was okay, she opened the door gently.

"Miss Gray..." Will whispered from the hallway "I hope I didn't disturb you..."

"You did." she hissed "Now what do you want?"

"I came to say, that I was sorry..."

"You already did that, and I made it very clear that I wanted you to stay away from me, so why are you here?" Although she knew what she was saying, it felt as though she was just saying it now to hurt him, and not that it came from anywhere truthful.

"Tessa..." the man murmured again.

Out of sympathy, the girl pulled the door open wider, and allowed him through, "I was sleeping." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I realise, but I still wish to explain myself."

"I should like to hear and explanation."

"I will keep this short," He sighed, but reluctantly continued "but I have found myself in the position, on many occasions, where I have been played by young women who use me in an attempt to get close to my family's fortune. You must understand that I assumed that our interactions meant more than just friendly conversations, and when I heard that you were interested in another, I lost my temper. It wasn't polite of me and I am terribly sorry for all I have done."

Tessa stood, stunned, but replied after collecting herself; "Is that what you thought? That I was- involved with someone?"

Will nodded.

"I- I meant you!" She stammered, "I assumed that you were asking me about whether or not I was interested in you!"

Will put his hand to his face, running his hand slowly through his hair, "I believe that you misunderstood my question Miss Gray, and I believe that I misunderstood your response."

Tessa smirked, holding back her laughter, "I believe so Mr Herondale."


End file.
